Color in your Cheeks
by CloudySunDrop
Summary: Using a song for inspriation but not a songfic, Dipper is back in Gravity Falls with Mabel, ready to spend the summer working on his new journal, when Pacifica seems to be MIA at the moment. Dipper has his own plans, but having heard hers, decides to lend a hand and their relationship seems to change in new ways. Teen AU. Dipcifica.
1. Come on in, We haven't slept

**Come on in,**  
**We Haven't slept for weeks,**  
Drink some of this,  
It'll put color in your cheeks

**-Color in your Cheeks by The Mountain Goats**

Spending the school semester away from the town you really loved and could call home was tough but the reward of coming back every summer and every holiday break made the year seem bearable.

At the age of seventeen Dipper and Mabel were able to drive up to Gravity Falls rather than taking one of the decrepit transit busses or paying a fortune to fly up to Oregon from their sunny home in California. The drive could go anywhere from 5 hours to 8 depending on traffic, and Dipper prayed every trip for three things: That the coin flip deciding the driver would land in his favor, that Mabel might fall asleep to make the ride a bit more peaceful and that they would miss the exiting Portland traffic.

The most recent drive included none of those things.

Mabel chose Heads on the coin and sure enough it landed that way. Meaning she controlled the radio the whole way there. Also meaning that she would drive way too fast in her excitement to get home to Gravity Falls, and likely make them get to the exit just in time for the lunch break rush. Meaning more sitting, and therefore more listening to Sev'ral Timez way too loud, and not being able to complain with fear of his sister backlashing something about BABBA.

Needless to say, when they finally arrived at the shack 2 hours later than they should have, Dipper went straight to his room for peace away from his still energetic sibling. Spending time with her was great, truly! Mabel was the best, but sometimes she was a bit much for his more introverted ways. Down time after a car trip was always a necessity for him.

The room that would have been his way back when, was being used by his grandpa, so one of the many rooms in the house was cleared and given to him for use in the summers. It had a door on it that appeared to be like the rest of the walls, and the room itself still sort of smelled of a weird embalming fluid, but it was just the way he liked it. Twin bed in place, like it was at winter break and the Journals hidden beneath the floorboards in various spots, the room only had a bit of dust coating it. He was given permission to keep the journals by the senior about a year ago, but he had since moved on to writing his own discoveries down.

The journals were still used by him, but with less frequency after realizing he had memorized certain pages.

He flopped down onto his bed to stretch out after the long road trip and could feel his phone buzz from his back pocket. Mabel had already sent out some group messages about their arrival and had chosen to include him in the fact that a small party would soon be held in the shack; So much for his peace and quiet.

Turning the vibration off of his phone because of the sudden texts from everyone they knew in Gravity Falls, he looked on the screen to see a single message pop up in the mess of them saying simply " I can't."

It was Pacifica.

He had talked to her just the day before, Mabel in tow on the speaker phone conversation, explaining that they might have a party after a day or two of arriving. She said she would be there sleet or shine, so this sudden declaration without any explanation was fishy. Sure, maybe it was just inconvenient timing but his little conspiracy mind thought otherwise.

So he called her. And the phone rang, and rang, and rang until he was met with a voice mail.

"Hello, you've been fortunate enough to reach the number of Pacifica Northwest but unfortunate in that I either do not care or am not available at the moment. You can leave a message if it's dire. Chao."

Her voice was clear and confident in the message but obviously not changed from when she was younger because it was a bit higher in pitch than her tone now. That and she had stopped her Italian lessons and refused to speak it unless pressed upon by her parents.

"Uh, hey Paz. Its Dipper calling, we're having a get together or something tonight at the shack! You should stop by if you can, I mean I guess maybe you can't, I saw the group message, but-" and then the tone beeped and he was out of time. Crap.

So he called again. Left a message more informative and stated a lot faster.

And he called again. Wishing her to call back and stating that he was worried.

And again. Saying that a call back would really be appreciated.

He set down his phone after that. She probably couldn't go because her parents were having some bourgeoisie function. In which case she was likely getting ready for the function, getting dressed and make up slathered and all that.

So, giving up and deciding maybe he was paranoid, he went downstairs to be greeted by the already present Candy and Grenda, both standing in the kitchen with Mabel talking their ears off, though it was expected and enjoyed by them. He said his hellos and made small talk while he could get words in against his sisters loud mouth, and grabbed a soda from the fridge.

"So Dipper, Mabel has been telling us all about your new journal! Number two should be very fun to work on during your time here!" Candy tried pulling him into the conversation about their adventures for the summer, hoping he might have some already planned that they could tag along for.

"Oh yeah, I've been thinking of a few places to go or a few spells to try. You know how in our first summer and how two summers ago I was able to raise some zombies? Well I found a couple things and think they'd be cool to try out." Dipper was pretty pleased with this. Spells seemed like a good place to start with this new journal, and it would be a lot more elaborate than his grandpa's journal work. He wasn't going to lie, the idea of becoming a magic user was a bit appealing… but then Dipper came back to the reason for why he left his room in the first place.

Before they could respond to his first answer, he added in:

"By the way, have you guys seen or heard from Pacifica lately? She just messaged that she couldn't come over tonight and I have no idea why."

Grenda and Candy shared a look, before making eye contact with the twins. Mabel looking particularly surprised that one of her BFF's wasn't going to be there and that Dipper had heard about it first.

"Ohmygosh! What gives? Do you guys know anything?" Mabel quickly added to her brother's question.

Grenda was the first to reply, Candy began looking at her feet.

"Well guys, she hasn't really been around the town lately, except for when her parents are doing something to look better than the rest of us. We've tried to call her, but we keep getting her voicemail." She elaborated this in her deep voice and the two girls both showed a lot of concern for her. The girls had all became close a year or two after the twins first visited Gravity Falls, Mabel being their main glue.

"Oh that's awful! Maybe she needs help? I never liked Preston, and he's only gotten meaner!" Mabel was the first to speak, and was formulating a break-out prison escape plan in her head as she spoke. Grappling hook and explosions fully included.

Dipper was thinking similarly to his twin. Only she didn't quite know the extent of Preston's 'meanness'. In their first summer Dipper learned of the bell they used to control her, Mabel oblivious because she was either off with her friends or turned into wood. He asked her to explain it to him but she wouldn't budge until the next summer when she declared that never again would she shy from what her parents didn't want for her, but asked that he keep her home life a secret.

He had kept it a secret, and would do so now until she allowed him otherwise, because he had her back like any real friend would. The girls were all chatting about something still semi Pacifica related when Dipper asked about there being a function or something being run by the Northwest's that night.

"No, nothing I've heard of. And I work as an intern for the town paper!" Candy told the group in answer to Dippers question. The girls then squealed over Candy being the first of them to get a real job, and got a bit distracted on that.

But the thought lingered in Dippers mind. There wasn't a Northwest function tonight, she wasn't answering calls, and for a while now since Candy had told him of her attempts, and she was rarely seen except for when by the side of her father Preston. These were three points Dipper counted up and a plan was settled in his brain.

"Hey Mabel, I'm going to use the car tonight for a bit okay?"

"You're not going to miss our own party are you?" Of course that was her concern with him taking the car. It was his car, her own residing back in California, but while they were here they would have to share it.

"Wouldn't dream of it sis! I'm just planning my escape early is all; I'm going to go out with the telescope for a bit." And he tossed the line and bait…

"Okay they nerdlington! Have fun but make sure you stay for the most of it!"…And sinking she took it. Great now he had a majority of the night to work through his plan.

And so planning for the party commenced in the kitchen, a grocery run was made, a confetti run was made, and soon everyone was at the house partying at full blast.

It didn't take long for Mabel to get distracted with a braid-train with all her friends and the guys to all put bets on them with Cheetos and soda cans, so grabbing the keys Dipper left to find out more about the girl who normally became the star of these parties, well, alongside his sister.

The two seniors of the house were outside on the porch, each in respected rocking chairs talking over some sort of new deal or plan for scamming the people of the town.

"Where you off to Dip?" Grunkle Stan was the first to ask anything as he passed them.

"You sneaking off to go find your blonde lady friend?" Came from his Grandpa.

Dipper smiled and replied "Number one answers number two!" and unlocked his car.

"Well don't stalk her and don't do anything you don't want us to sell for money on the internet!" Oh lovable Grunkle Stan.

The old men cackled for a little and waved good bye to him as he left the shack. He was a weird kid, they knew it, but maybe he might be able to do something normal with his time.

It was maybe 11 o'clock when he left and getting to the manor didn't take too long despite being on a hill farther away from the town than any of the other houses. And rather than going through the overly inviting, read with sarcasm, he hid his car along the side of the manor gates surrounded by brush and a few briers. He'd done it many times in the past when he had to sneak over to her house.

Over the wall he climbed. His foot holes still seen from the last summers usage, he climbed with ease, got to the top, swung his legs over and climbed down. He tried to jump once, but he sprained his ankle and had to call maybe to sneak in and then help him drive home, which could most certainly not happen now.

Getting to her room was another climb, this time up ivy and latticing. He was a fit person generally, but with almost a year of no constant monster battles or life-or-death chases he could be doing better stamina wise. He took in a deep breath and began to go up the wall and to her window.

Last summer, she would always keep it open, always expecting him, or hoping he would come in the times other than when they planned adventures. This summer it appeared otherwise, because the window was shut and he could see she was in there lying on her bed.

He hoped up, sitting on the window sill rather than hanging from it and knocked gently to get her attention. One year he tried throwing a rock from the bottom before he had to climb, but the rock went through the window and the security alarms went off. Who knew they had Dobermans?

At his knock however, she startled, looked over to the window, her eyes wide and then calmer once she realized it was him. A small smile played on her lips and she rose from the bed and walked to the window where he presided.

Walking over swiftly, it was clear she hadn't left the room in a while, her clothes lacked their normal iron pressing and she had no makeup on. Neither of these being bad in Dipper's eyes but he knew her parents would never approve of 'such an appearance!' He could see her nails were chipped, chewed and broken when she pulled the lock on the window and opened it.

"Dipper! Come on in!" She whispered excitedly.

"Hey Paz! Long time no see!" He greeted, matching and over passing her enthusiasm a she stepped inside her room. As soon as he stood tall in the room her arms were around him in a hug, which was really appreciated but very unusual for the 'Ne touché pas' Pacifica.

"Hush! Please be a little quieter! They could hear you and think I'm talking again. I think they've wire tapped my room." She continued to whisper to him, her concern growing on her face but she tried to keep smiling at Dipper! He had come to visit her instead of hosting his party!

"Woah What? They're listening to you now? What the hell?" Dipper was baffled, what could she do to deserve this much distrust?

"Yes, and they only let me have my phone when it gets lots of messages at once, they're trying to erase me Dipper. They want me out of everyone's lives! I was only able to send one message and I chose 'I can't' because I could send for help! Thank god you noticed it was weird! Your paranoia never fails me Dip!" She was happy to talk to him, to talk at all, but her story was really freaking him out and she could tell.

"Paz, I know I said you needed to escape before, but you really need to. Like now! This is ludicrous! What are you proving by staying here? It's like you're a Rapunzel in a tower!" And by this point Dipper was pissed. She was so much stronger than this crap! What did Preston possibly have against her that would make this treatment permissible in her eyes?

"It's that to say you're the dashing prince here to save me? Get over yourself Dip! I have a plan! It's just, well, it's taking longer than it needs to."

"Hey I never said that! That's your own imagination!" Though he did like the idea a little.

"Whatever, you totally meant it that way! Like I'm trapped and need only you to escape! Oh my god Dipper! I'm practically swooning over here."

"Oh give it a rest; I know I'm not prince material. But really though, what's your plan? What could possibly be worth all this crap?" It hurt a little somewhere, knowing that she was so, so far out of his league so he switched over to a matter of business. At least that focused on her and not his own lack of traits.

"As a matter of fact, I'm going to con them! I'm going to take all their worth, leave them nothing and make sure they pay for what they've done to me and to the people of this town!" She realized they weren't whispering at this point and went back to her hushed tone when she announced her plan.

Dipper was impressed, it was ideal that she get all the glory and fame and leaves them with nothing. But as a skeptic, he was really unsure about how she could go about all of this.

"And the details of this plan?"

"Take me out to your favorite spot to stargaze and I'll tell you." She winked at this, another very surprising action by the girl this evening, and grabbed onto his arm as she walked towards the window. He didn't mind being pulled along, but she was just so out of sorts to him. The arguing was normal, the best even, but this new thing with hugs and touching and winking kept making him turn red.

"Um yeah, Sure Paz, just get on some shoes first."

"Getting shoes means going to my closet. That means going past the sensor to get into my closet, which notifies my parents that I'm moving around. I'll go barefoot until I can borrow a pair of Mabel's."

He nodded, still bewildered at her prisoner like treatment in her own home, but agreed with her judgement. And with that he began climbing down first, so as to catch her if she fell from above him, or at least break her fall with his organs.

It did however mean having to climb while looking to the side or down wards because looking up was not an option if he wanted to live; especially if she was wearing a skirt, which she was in this circumstance.

She spoke from above him, around halfway down, "Man, this could be a lot easier. I haven't slept in weeks."

He decided not to comment on this fact because he knew it would lead to her arguing back with the fact that he rarely slept in the summers because of his obsession with the supernatural. And it would be a down-hill battle from there.

She hoped down but was quickly enough going up the second wall and then down it, Dipper below her every turn. The final climb down she skipped away from and half ran to the passenger side of the car, knowing it would be in the same spot it always seemed to be.

He got in, and began to turn the car on when they heard a bark.

Quickly, he turned the car back off. He turned and made eye contact with Pacifica, who looked white as a sheet. But instead of being paralyzed with fear, she grabbed onto Dipper's right arm and whispered "Drive really quickly. Now."

He followed orders well, cranking the car to start and then getting up to 40 miles an hour in the bumpy forest terrain and speeding further to 65 until they got to the main road.

No one had followed them as far as her could tell. But he did a couple spins around town trying to tell for sure. Pacifica hadn't released her grip on his arm but had loosened it into a simple manner of holding it.

"You can put the radio on if you want, sitting in silence now that were not being followed is kind of weird."

"Oh yeah, sorry about that. Talking hasn't been my thing in a while so I guess it just became, a little natural. Which spot are you taking us too?"

"Yikes how long did you not talk for? And I'm taking us to the witch hill, its got a better incline. Oh and see if you can find any flip flops on the floor in the back once we get there. I think Mabel left some."

"It's been maybe 6 months? Maybe seven? I don't know, I just, I can't risk perjury in that house of all places. And will do."

"Yeah, you have to tell me all of this story. Really though, all of it."

"I know I promised to tell you my plan tonight, but could I do it another night? I really just want to be out of that mindset tonight, and just hang with you. It really sucks and I need some time to, to rejoin humanity for a little bit."

"That's fine Paz, just don't forget that you semi promised in your deal to mooch a ride for escape."

"Yeash, have some faith dork. I will! Just, tell me about your school year for right now, or just anything besides me and my parents."

And so he did. Talked about his teachers and friends. Which lead to him talking about Candy and Grenda being there for Mabel, which then turned into him talking about his plans for what Pacifica called "Dippers second diary". They climbed the steep hill as he retold his tails and brought forth his ideas, they didn't really stop at any point, but every now and then she would make him pause so she could make a comment or inference.

"I mean, I've already done a couple spells in the past, and some little ones around home and stuff. I really think it could become something."

"Hmm, well sure, but just remember that all those that get magic powers in movies turn evil. Well besides like Arthur in the old Mickey movie The Sword and the Bolder… And don't go comparing yourself to a prince again."

"Well out of my options of turning evil and becoming a king, I think I might risk your disapproval on this one."

They had reached the top of the hill at this point when he realized he was missing a key element of star gazing; the telescope.

"Wooow Dip. Bright one you are indeed Mister Ursa Major" Pacifica said mockingly to him, it was too good of an opportunity to waste.

"Well we could go back down, another thirty minute hike and come back up. Or I could go and you could stay here alone for an hour while I go get the stupid thing. What'll it be?"

"Would you carry me if we both went down?"

"No."

"Then we're going to sit here and look at them like our eyes were built to because you're not ditching me when I just got you back."

"Sure, that sounds fine." They both sat down at the top point of the hill, and then laid down side by side, chatting as time went on. Unbeknownst to them it was already 2 in the morning.

"So what you're telling me is, you can't remember if you're naturally blonde or not?" Dipper inquired at the surprising fact she had just ditched out, or well, implied.

"Yep, and all of my baby photos, toddler photos, portraits, every one of them, have me as the blonde you see today. And I go to the salon so regularly for them to touch it up, as my mother requires, I don't really know if my roots grow in dark or not."

"That's so crazy to think about!"

"Yep. That's why, as soon as I'm free of them, I'm not going to color my hair for a couple of months; just to know for sure."

He was sitting up on his elbow now, turning to his right side to look at her while they talked, and she was copying such a pose.

"Do you think you'd like me better as a brunette?" she asked, making direct eye contact with him.

He was taken aback by this statement. What did his opinion matter in how she appeared?

"More than I like you already? I doubt it would change anything, hair is hair, ya'know?"

"No I don't know, that's not a thing in the world I was raised in. in that bubble, hair is appearance and appearance means everything. If you don't look the part, you don't get the part."

"So what part are you looking for then?"

She paused and stared at him. She didn't look distant, like thinking elsewhere. She wasn't making eye contact with him, like she would be if she thought his question was dumb, though that stare would be accompanied by raised eyebrows. She was staring at his face and seemed to be making a decision.

Dipper was so focused in trying to figure out in his brain what she could be staring at or thinking about that he did realize how close they had gotten. Or how close she was getting until she was inches from his face.

He could feel her breath on his lips and cheek and his brain shut down.

She kissed him.

She was kissing him.

He kissed back.

And police sirens went off from the background, tearing the two apart. Looking over the hill to find the cars, he saw them chasing the Stanley Mobile at speed.

Though he doubted Mabel would have less of a story than he would later that night when they spoke, he was soon distracted by Pacifica cupping his face in her hand and bringing him back to her lips.

After all the touching she had done this evening, he decided maybe it was for the better. She had really soft lips.


	2. Drink some of This

Come on in,  
We Haven't slept for weeks,  
**Drink some of this,  
**It'll put color in your cheeks

-**Color in your Cheeks by The Mountain Goats**

Dipper couldn't catch a break. He honest to goodness could not get any relief, from anyone or anything today. It started out horrible and seemed like it was going to end horribly too. All after one of the best nights he'd ever had.

Coming back to the town he loved, to the friends he loved, to helping out a certain best friend and then finding out that he actually really, really liked said best friend, and then wrapping it up by making out with that 'best friend' until close to 3 o'clock in the morning after talking under the stars all night. It was magical.

Dipper dropped off Pacifica with the giddy intentions to come back the next night if he couldn't see her tomorrow in the day. They had held hands the whole drive home too! It was amazing, just amazing.

Less amazing was coming home to his Great uncle and Grandpa waiting for Mabel to return after her run in with the police, which occurred because she stole the car the old men used on a regular basis. Worse she had apparently dented the famous Stanley Mobile, and that would be punishable by death to all outside the family.

But the clock hit 3:21 when he came in the front door, the lights were all off so Dipper assumed all were asleep, being quiet and stealthy was wasted immediately when the living room lamp clicked on and revealed the older twins.

"Dipper?" Grunkle Stan was surprised to see the male twin tiptoeing through the front but his grandpa figured it out pretty quickly.

"Huh, that's right you went out with your own car to meet the blonde dame. We had forgotten for a bit and just assumed you went to your room to write or read or something you normally do."

"HUH, That's right! Oh man you and your sister are going to hate this summer. Welcome to the full time crew and night shift buddy. You can't pull one over on us." His Grunkle was spitting these words, the though act never really being an act. But, night shift?

"Grunkle Stan what do you mean night shift? We close at 9?" Dipper inquired, thinking it for the best.

"New scheme poindexter and I came up with! Things are scarier at night, the more scared they are, the looser the grip on their wallets! The shift is from 10 until 1 in the morning and its every night except for Sundays." His Grunkle was proud of this, very obviously. And to Dipper, it sounded like death. How was he supposed to sneak Pacifica out and help her if he had to work all night? How was he supposed to get work on his journal done? His grandfather elaborated further:

"Because both you and Mabel are in high tides right now, you'll alternate nights of who'll work the night shift. Not too many people will come through so having only one person working can't possibly go wrong."

And in that there was some salvation. In the window behind the old men he caught a flash of a colored sweater. Mabel was sneaking in then to avoid punishment until tomorrow; it was expected but not appreciated. At least he knew what was going towards her.

THUMP THUMP CRASH

And then Mabel worsened her sentence in three loud noises. The older twins didn't mind being lied to, they were liars themselves and could generally tell what was going on. But deception and avoiding the truth were not acceptable, and Mabel had done just that by avoiding their immediate punishment. Grunkle was red in the face. The two men charged up the stairs, to make sure she was both okay and to explain to her the situation at hand.

Dipper took the opportunity to slip down the hall and into his room, sleep was right behind his eyes and he didn't want to face the old men going to their rooms so angry and so late at night. He came in got comfortable in his pajama pants and removed his shirt, lying on his bed seemed like the best thing besides Pacifica right now. Yeah Pacifica was definitely the best thing right now in Dippers mind. Who knew she felt that way? Who knew he felt that way?

Dipper stayed up for a while just to think about her, about what she had said was going on. Her parents were going off the deep end. How was Pacifica going to ruin their name without ruining her own though? It was beyond puzzling to him, but she was smart, too clever for her own good, so he decided not to doubt her until he heard a flaw in her plan, whatever it ended up being.

He eventually fell asleep, thinking about all the exchanges with her, and everything said that night.

He awoke to Mabel loudly wailing and screaming about something. Grabbing a shirt and making his way to the screaming, and therefore into the kitchen, he saw what he could consider inhuman.

Mabel was being placed on a Sugar Ban.

The girl lived on sugar, he was sure she couldn't function with out it. He knew she couldn't, their parents had tried this years before and were left with a shell of their child left. Mabel wasn't Mabel without at least a little artificial energy to get her going.

Mabel was sobbing on the floor, holding waddles in her arms. The original mystery twins were looking stern, but guilt was clearly displayed across both of their faces.

"Well, well, maybe just for three days! But a full three days! It's better than a week kid! It's what you get for giving the cops our new tag number and denting the car!" Grunkle Stan tried to remain tough but his resolve would only weaken if he opened his mouth again, so his brother punched him in the arm, and they exchanged a glance. Dipper decided not to step in, they hadn't seen him yet, and he would keep it that way until he had to start a shift in the gift shop. Walking back down the hall, he decided he could use the time to work some in his journal.

Meanwhile Mabel was still crying on the ground. She had to make it look convincing even though she had already come up with a survival plan. She had stashes all over the secret parts throughout the house, as well as the stash she brought and hid in her room and the stash she kept in Dippers glove box in his car. And in the rim of his left back tire, but that was mostly smile dip, and that was for if she really needed a boost. The two old men shuffled around her until she felt grunkle Stan picking her up by her arms and her grandpa picking her feet up. In a whoosh she was in the air and then shuffled along until she was on the couch, lying down.

Knowing that they loved listening to her talk, because she was brightness in their pretty dull lives, she decided if she was going to be punished, so were they. No more talking to them. Sealed and Done. They could deal their cards, but she had an upper hand when it came to being adorable and naturally peppy.

She had seen Dipper go back to his room, but he didn't rat her last night when he saw her sneaking in, so she did him the favor of not pointing him out. Besides she needed to know why he was out so late. Maybe he discovered something while she was on her joy ride with her friends?

Eventually, the coast was clear of the geezers and she went back up to her room to get dressed for the day, and start planting her sugar around the house where she could grab it easily when working. This was going to go easier than she originally thought. She would con the conmen, and enjoy sweet, sweet sugary victory. But as she passed Dippers hole in the wall to get to the attic stairs, she heard him muttering and definitely heard the name Pacifica. Maybe he figured out what happened to her?

"Bro Bro! I'm coming in!" She announced loudly enough for him to hear but not to shake the house like she normally did.

"Yeah okay Mabel. You do that." He was a bit cold, he would admit it, but he started think about how to do a spell and with Pacifica on his mind and now Mabel coming in, he might as well give up. She came in and he scribbled his last train of thought and turned to her.

"What's up? How did your joy ride go?" He asked her the first question to hopefully keep her from feeling hurt at his last cold remark.

"Wonderfully! It was great! I was booking it at 125! The Cops got my speed down after I had seen them though and slowed to 80, so I get to keep my license! How'd your stargazing go?" She was as enthusiastic as the sun, but the inquiry turned on him and he didn't know how much to tell her.

"Well, I went to see Paz, cause she was so distant from, well, everyone. She working out some sort of plan to ruin her parents for good but keep herself out of trouble. I ended up taking her with me to stargaze." He told her the truth, just not all of it, if she asked the right questions, she would get more. That was his decision and he was sticking to it.

"Hmm, sorry bro but your story doesn't check out. You might've gone to see Paz, but there was very little stargazing considering your telescope is still in the corner over there and still coated in summers dust." And sure enough it was, she was observant when she really wanted to be, it was frightening sometimes.

"Well, yeah I forgot it, I was just really freaked out that something was horribly wrong with her that stars became less important."

"She's more important than the stars to you? You know symbolically that must mean you like her, Huh bro bro!?"

"oh, uh yeah, I do. I think I really like her. But somethings going on in that house and im not sure how we're going to help without getting in there ourselves." He responded trying to sound as to-the-point as possible towards her and keep the conversation from floating to where he told her everything about last night.

"WHAT!? You REALLY like her! Dipper this is big! When did you figure it out? Why didn't you tell me? We need to come up with your plan of attack, like, now! The time is right my brother! Dippingsause this will be your summer!"

"Oh yeah I guess it could be…" But then he saw how imploring her eyes were towards her first couple of questions, so out went the complete truth "…I guess I figured it out when she kissed me last night. No it was probably the second time she kissed me, when the police started chasing after you. But for plan of attack, we need to get into the Northwest manor somehow and work our way through the security systems they have in place so we can help Paz."

"OH MY GOD DIPPER. She kissed you!? Twice?! And you didn't tell me last night!? Bro Bro! This is great! She'll be my sister after all, who knew! I can't be a bridesmaid before being a bride though. Oh my god I need to step up my game… Oh yeah we can get into her house in the gala their holding tomorrow night. No one knows why their holding it, but Candy said that it was going to be huge."

"Then that's perfect! We'll have a short spy mission, get info on what their actually watching and where in the house and get out! Like regular guests leaving!" Dipper was over the moon with this new opportunity, he would be helpful to Paz before she even got to tell him the full plan. What was his shirt made of? That's right, boyfriend material.

"And you'll probably get to slow dance with Pacici for a bit too! Oh my goodness it's going to be so adorable. You've done well brother of mine." She saluted him and took a couple steps towards the door.

"I'm going to go place my candy around the gift shop for around the day and get dressed I recommend a similar choice of action, our little old men are on their high horses today."

"You did kind of dent their beloved car Mabel."

"Shut it, I have candy to get to, See ya Dip-n-Dots."

And with that she left, and Dipper went back to working on a spell for invisibility.

A spell that could come in handy so often for Pacifica; who was currently hiding in the third floor of the East wing of the mansion she lived in, trying to find the passcode she knew they kept in one of the paintings here. It was a matter of choosing though, because the paintings were huge, and the second one happened to 'fall' she would be toast if it didn't have the code because she would definitely be escorted back to her room in the west wing and not permitted into the East for at least a week or two.

She hated games of chance; she preferred poker, where it was about being better than the other competitor no matter what cards you were dealt.

She lifted around the edges of two of the paintings to look for the symbols she knew she had seen before but couldn't determine a thing. Maybe she should wait and get Dipper's advice on the subject? No, there wasn't time for that, she needed them gone soon. She knew she was better than them, even if they had been dealt a better hand of cards.

Deciding on the image of her mother first accepting her husband's marriage proposal against the image of her father in his hunting gear with a prized bear of his, she tore it off the wall in a single pull.

There was a crash, she could hear footsteps coming her way. She let out a shriek to make it seem like an accident, and seeing nothing on the back of her mother's portrait, she took a gambling move to tear down her father's when people were already on their way. She did so and let out another shriek.

Sure as hell, the code was on the man's pride and joy rather than his wife, **NLMVB **was boldly displayed in a corner on the left side. She put the portrait over her legs and screamed for help, knowing that there were people coming right around the corner.

"Help! Help! The paintings fell and knocked me down! Help! Get it off of me!" She pretended to cry a little until one of the "butlers" lifted it up. Suspicious that a butler was a muscularly built as he and had a gun poorly hidden near the front of his trousers.

"Thank goodness you came. The one painting of my mother, I was admiring it and it suddenly fell. Sure enough I jumped out of the way just to have my father's fall on top of me! My rotten luck I'm sure."

He said something mundane and obviously a lie and sure enough her father came right in. The butler had already gotten her father's portrait back up on the wall and was working on her mother's one.

"What is the meaning of this Pacifica Elise? Tell me right now and do not dare lie to me." He father was brusque, harsh, and his tone was completely even. He wanted an answer and he meant no funny business, but that was expected.

Pacifica repeated the lie to her father, about the portrait falling on her, changing it only slightly so as to say it was the Mother's that fell on her and that the butler needed a raise for being so quick to help get the heavy thing off of her. She didn't need him to know that she was so close to the code he hid there.

Preston seemed to buy it and grumbled out something about controlling her clumsiness better before she was put out of the house. An empty threat but a very dark one none the less.

That night Pacifica would crawl under her bed, to the wall and scratch into the paint the five letters with the back of her earing stud. That way she could never forget and they wouldn't find it unless the whole bed was removed from the wall which it was built into.

Now all she had to do was use the code to get into the security footage.

The new night shift thing was a bunch of crap though.

Dipper had the first night, as decided by a coin flip, and no one came. It was literally just him sitting in the gift shop, the only difference being that it was dark outside and no wallets were coming in the door. He pulled out his journal and worked on a new spell for protection, trying it in different ways on pens and then trying to snap the pens. He was doing fairly well considering only one caught on fire and only two melted out of the ten attempts he had made.

Scribbling that the fire pronunciation might be possible to work from, he looked up to see Mabel sneaking back into the house through the gift shop doors where only Dipper would see her.

"How were the girls?" he inquired knowing full well that she was out with Candy and Grenda again, they were a constant trio, it wouldn't surprise him if they stayed that way the rest of their lives.

"They were fine, the same old same old. They were kind of upset with the lack of fresh meat here for the summer. The thing with them going to high school here, is that they know like, everyone! And it makes impossible to flirt if Candy tells me he cheats on his math tests or Grenda can name every one of his past girlfriends! And this is like for every guy! It's bumming me out!" She seemed bummed out too. Maybe it was because she had less sugar than normal, maybe because she was getting tired of having to seek out boys like she was 12 all over again.

What she didn't realize right away though, was that her brother was the absolute best sometimes. And when Candy sent him a text 20 minutes ago when Mabel left her house, that Mabel was upset, he took it upon himself to make some Mabel juice for her. Edible glitter and all.

She was continuing on with her story about one particular guy, and Dipper was getting pretty bored with it. So Bam, he placed the water bottle of Mabel Juice on the counter, coughed like in a movie and waited for the gasp; which he heard, followed by plenty of thanks by his older twin.

"Yeah I figured, You could drink some of this stuff right about now."

The shift was almost up, and Mabel was feeling like herself again, so she left Dipper to go to her room and make a call or two to see if she could get a date for the gala.

Dipper was packing up the rest of the shop when it happened.

Blue hell fire appeared from the grass outside, and yellow pyramids were all he saw before he was blacked out on the ground and thrown into the dreamscape.


	3. Color

Come on in,  
We Haven't slept for weeks,  
Drink some of this,**  
It'll put color in your cheeks**

-**Color in your Cheeks by The Mountain Goats**

Feeling the rush of caffeine and sugar through her veins and arteries, Mabel made the final decision to see about Pacifica with her own eyes and lend her own help. She knew that later tonight she would be attending the Gala at the Northwest Manor, but some early recon couldn't hurt, well, couldn't hurt as long as she wasn't caught.

Dipper was probably still asleep, seeing it was only 8 in the morning, but Pacifica was a morning person, so she would be awake and ready to go when Mabel got to her house. And since Dipper was still asleep, taking his car wouldn't be a problem and wouldn't have to be negotiated. She snuck out the back way, avoiding the gift shop the old geezers would be first to go to besides the kitchen in the morning. She grabbed Dippers spare key from her purse, he had given it to her only after having her sign a formal document and paperwork, and was on her way.

Mabel guess-timated about where on the side of the manor that Dipper normally hid his car when she got there, and covered it with some brush.

Fortunately, long, long ago, she wasn't silly enough to choose a hat over a weapon, so instead of having to climb the wall by hand, up went her grappling hook and down it went grabbing on to the otherside. She scaled the wall and was up and over in time at all. On the top of the wall however, a bit of Paz's window was visible, and she could see Paz in her room pacing.

Rather than risking broken glass, Mabel went up the side of the house by hand and sat on the window sill once reaching the top. She gave a light knock and Pacifica turned, paler in the face than Mabel had ever seen her.

Pacifica rushed over to let Mabel in, Put a finger over her lips to shush the inevitable hello Mabel was likely to give loudly and began to press Mabel to the floor and direct her to under her bed.

"Paz, this is super weird, like way super weird…" was all she was able to whisper out before Pacifica shushed her again and crawled out from under the bed. Mabel could hear footsteps coming through the vibrations on the floor. One, Two, no, Four individuals were coming down the hallway. She could see Pacifica's heeled feet through the sheets that hung over the bottom of the bed, and she saw a piece of paper being dropped by said feet and kicked under the bed.

Mabel opened up the scrap of paper, which turned out to be a full letter and read it in her head.

"_Mabel,_

_I knew either your brother or you would come today before the Gala to do some recon, so I prepared letters, one for each of you, so as to elaborate some points without incriminating myself in front of my parents. I'm sorry you have to be under the bed, it's just the only place without any bugging devices._

_My parents know they're in trouble, and they know they have a mole that's been sending out there illegal handiwork online for the masses to see. What they suspected at first was that it was the more favored butlers, so all the staff is new, because the old staff was either fired or "taking a long vacation". In this I have lost my allies in my own home and cannot reach the outside world more than my parents will allow me. They are now considering me to be the mole however, and though these suspicions are right, I cannot have them know for sure and take action on it until tonight's event. _

_The code to the security room is scratched into the wall beneath my bed, you must read it and memorize it, and it will prove helpful. Also, on the underside of the bed itself, between the mattress and the metal that hold the bed is a letter for Dipper, please do not read it and please only give it to him if something happens to me. If this all goes swimmingly, I will ask it to be returned at the end of tonight._

_My parents are sinking in a ship of their own lies into a sea of their own created torture and I will gladly push them to their doom. The last few months have been unbearable. The only moments of happiness I had were when I would get calls from you and Dip that my parents would allow me to answer. So to the end they must go, for I'm not a Pavlov experiment and I will control my own fate._

_Also, at some point I fell in love with Dipper and I swear to god Mabel if I hear you squeal about this you will be punished. I got to kiss him even, under the stars and without any worries. It scares me how much I like him. I will talk to you about this after tonight and we will have a sleepover while my prisons spend the night in the county jail. Tell him this for me if anything goes wrong, because he needs to know that I really, truly do love him and have for a while. The stupid dork took my first kisses too, not that I mind but, that it's a testament to how I feel._

_Mabel, you have been kinder to me than any before. You live like sunshine and I love you as my dearest sister, and will remember you always… I'm getting too sentimental. You mean a lot to me. Don't screw up tonight. We will be as rich as kings and those who deserve nothing, shall rot._

_Meet me with Dipper after you've gotten into the security tower and can locate the safe, there will be two decoys. The real safe will have the most green around it, whether it be plants or paint color or velvet. _

_I will be watched tonight but make sure you look for my hand gestures; I will be sending messages through Morse. _

_Do not trust the weight staff and avoid all with blue ties. _

_With the best of intentions, and love and sincerity, _

_Your "Paz"."_

Mabel finished reading the letter, pink in the face at being called her sister and the fact that she really loved Dipper. Mabel was determined however, she grabbed the letter Pacifica described as being under the mattress and stuck it into her purse. She pulled a pen out and wrote the code to the security onto her own letter's paper, and evened her breathing. The marching footsteps that had gone down the hall were now turning and coming towards Pacifica's door.

In a risk mood, Mabel ran out from under Pacifica's bed and jumped out the window. Her grappling hook had been in hand and she caught the wall before plummeting to her doom.

Pacifica rushed over to the window to ensure that her friend wasn't dead and when she saw it as such, closed the window. As she clicked it shut, there was a knock at the door. Pacifica sighed.

Mabel rushed over the wall and was driving at speed away from the manor. She wasn't seen, but she made sure she wasn't followed before returning to the shack. Rather than being greeted with two grumpy old men like she expected, she met ambulances racing out of the woodland area and only her Grandpa on the steps.

She ran out of the car. They never called for outside help; something has to be horribly wrong for them to call for medical personnel.

"Gramps! Gramps! What's wrong!? Who's hurt!?" She hoped he would say it was just a customer, but feared it would be otherwise. Where was Dipper? Where was Grunkle?

"Mabel, did you go through the gift shop this morning when you snuck out?" This was all her grandpa said to her. His voice was even, but it was soft and it was obvious he was in pain.

"No, I went through the back? What does that have to do with anything? Why? Are you punishing me for sneaking out instead of telling me who's hurt?!" Mabel, though generally understanding and rarely angry, was almost screaming at the senior in her passionate disposition.

"Mabel, Stan and I found Dipper lying asleep on the floor of the gift shop this morning. We tried to wake him up. But after hours of trying, screaming, water, we slapped him, stuck the goat on him, everything. He wouldn't come too."

She was silent now.

Bill Cipher was screaming at the present moment though. Pine tree never knew when to give up, and with so many weaknesses, he was just so easy to exploit.

"My goodness Pine Tree! I always saw the signs between you and Llama but I hoped that this reality wouldn't be the one with _THAT _ending! What a shame! But hey, I only have to show you her dead once and you'll be screaming into the night for months! Check it out!"

Suddenly the grey dreamscape that was surrounding Dipper turned red and blonde bodies were hung everywhere, in piles on the floor, blood seeming to pour from the celling that didn't exist. There was a scratching noise from behind him, then a crying noise to his left. It all sounded and looked like Pacifica to every extensive detail.

Dipper immediately wished it away, though her face was imprinted in his mind. He was thankful that in the dreamscape he still had some amount of control.

Instead Dipper focused on setting up defenses away from Bill. The triangle was hunting him down, wasting his time and never really getting to the point of his arguments.

"Bill, tell me why you're doing this! Tell me now!" Dipper screamed out into the back to grey world.

A copy of Pacifica's head rolled next to Dipper's right foot, blood pooling around it once it rested in a spot in front of him. Dipper quickly dismissed it in his mind and it was gone. He needed to find a door out of this place soon.

A week or so ago, Dipper was able to enchant his watch to keep the real world time on it no matter what plane of existence he landed in. By doing this he was able to tell that Bill was just trying to waste his time now, considering he took him to this place at around 1 and it was now around 9 in the morning. Meetings with the daemon were normally concise and to the point, this was not a meeting.

"I might do just that Pines, for a deal! Bwahaha I know how you hate those! You and the Book! Always so untrusting of me, come on; take my word for it kiddo! What's the worst that could happen!?"

Dipper had had enough, beyond enough, he was angrier than he'd ever been in his life, which was saying something. Dipper was counting off curse after curse and setting up enchantments on everything he could. It helped to solidify the battle ground. Next, he did what he had only practiced, and casted the invisibility spell on himself.

It felt like having his skin ripped off but seeing the demon's eye open and suddenly get very angry was all the while worth it he supposed.

"Now Pine Tree, this is no time for tricks. Why don't we just sit down and have a nice conversation. WHO TAUGHT YOU THIS? I never allowed author boy to get this far, how have you learned this?!" Bill was tense and screamed most of this at Dipper. Dipper was pleased with this though, now having a sort of relief from the triangle and being able to catch his breathe.

The grey room that had been filled with grotesque horrors one after another was now changed into that of a business office. There was a large desk in the center of the room, it was made of a dark wood and burned into the top of it was the image of Bill and some latin, which if Dipper was closer, he would be able to read. Two large leather chairs were on either side of the large desk, though the one had yellow lining its edges. Bill went and sat in the chair and seemed to clear his throat.

"Pine Tree, I'd like to propose and exchange. Not a deal. An exchange."

Dipper didn't move.

"Pine tree. You will come out. This will affect both Shooting Star and your beloved Llama. And if you don't stop acting like the scared little boy you are, I will leave you here and you will never return. And those two, and many more would suffer because of this." Bill seemed like he wanted to sound level in tone, but the dark promises behind his statements led Dipper to a decision.

He canceled his invisibility spell and walked to sit in the chair across from the daemon.

"Bill. You've been wasting my time. You don't give free information, so as much as I'd love to know who's made a deal with you to keep me here, I will not ask or demand terms for. Instead, I want to leave."

"Wow you've wizened up on me huh kiddo? Okay then. I need you here for another hour so as to keep my deal and still get my favor from… But I will let you go ASAP pines. In exchange I'm going to ask you do something tonight. When you're in the Northwest manor, which you will be, I need you to open a kitchen window. That's it."

"… A kitchen window. That's all I have to comply with? Put it in writing."

"See Pines, I won't be hands on for anything in this so writing doesn't play a part. I won't even shake on this! This is you doing for me because I'm doing for you! Like old fishing buddies! Only there's a lot less dead animals in our wake!"

"Bill please don't be so gross, like we would ever be friends. I want some explanation though, why the sudden 'exchange', why not just lock me into a deal?"

"Because if I made it a deal, you'd never accept my terms. That and you were supposed to be part of the craziness that went on in that house, the fact that I'm keeping you here right now is putting dents in the plan. I'm even going to have to talk to that sister of yours just to make sure things run smoothly."

"So you know our plans to take down the Northwest's, I thought they were your allies? Did they cut out of a deal or something?"

"Very clever little tree, yes you could say it was something like that…But now ive got to be gone! I'll make sure a door appears out of here in thirty minutes for you to escape. Once you do, a suit will be waiting for you in the real world. Check the left pocket. And remember! The universe is a lie! Bury your gold! Never trust the cute! BYE!"

And then Bill seemed to flash out of the existence and Dipper knew he would be rushing to Mabel. If only they really did have a twin speak or telepathy. Though Dipper wasn't entirely sure what would happen once the two conversed.

Dipper was really unsure how everything was going to play out tonight. He had thought it was just some teenagers going against abusive parents now, knowing that Bill was going to try and assist them in some way, he wasn't entirely sure that this didn't have a bigger meaning for the future. Higher powers than he knew must be in the working if Bill is going to bother to band everyone together.

Dipper had sort of figured in his mind that it was the Northwest's that were behind him being kept here because of two things Bill had said. He said they crossed him in a deal and that he wanted the, essentially, taking off the charts. Because he was here when Bill said that he was never supposed to be and that a deal was being perjured made Dipper think maybe the two were connected.

Dipper imagined up some Pitt cola to drink and a couple chips to snack on. The rest of today would probably suck, even if he only had to open a kitchen window for Bill. He had already figured that out though. He would open it, and they close it right back. Sure it was dangerous to make this move with Bill already so pissed but the deal was never to keep it open. He should have said it if he wanted it. Plus Dipper was thinking that it was just to keep him out of the way for a little bit of time.

Soon enough a door appeared, it looked like a hospital door.

And apparently it had been because Dipper woke up in the hospital, Mabel sitting next to the bed he was in and a suit hanging in the corner of the room. Mabel had a sour look on her face, but upon seeing Dipper wake up, she smiled gratefully.

"Dip Dop! You're up!"

"Hey Mabes. Did Bill stop by here then?"

"Yeah the ever annoying equilateral was here. Said something about you opening a kitchen window, me keeping it open and in exchange you would wake up and we wouldn't be killed tonight. No deals apparently but he gave his word.

"…it must be crazy serious stuff if he thinks we could die without him. I knew from Pacifica that big things would be happening but I never thought Bill would back us."

"You heard from Paz?" Bill was too much for Dipper to think about any more, and if Mabel spoke to pacifica then they would know more about what they had to do.

"Yeah I did. I have a letter from her that you can't read unless something goes sideways and I got a letter of information. She's done some recon so we have the passcode to the security and maybe the vault I don't remember which she said it would work for."

"Are we look out then? How is she going to tell us what to do if she's under watch by her parents all evening?"

"She's going to use Morse. I figure what'll be best is if we have one field operative and one person in the security room. I've got those old spy earbuds so we could talk and hear one another."

"Field operative? We really will be spies, wow, but okay that makes sense. One gets the message and the other acts it out. Do you want to flip a coin, or do you want to do rock-paper-scissors like normal?"

"Nah Dippingsauce, you're going into battle to save your princess. I'll be your magical guidance fairy from afar."

"Princess is fitting from her, but I'm pretty sure I'm the troll of the fantasy realm. And really, a fairy?"

"You look too much like Mr. Tumnus for that to be true. And yeah! I'll be really good at it like you know, HEY LISTEN! And all that jazz!"

"That's a really weird comparison, but whatever; yeah I'll go around the ball room… Did Paz say anything else?"

"Not much more, just that she loved you and such…" She trailed off this statement to smile and grin at the very red brother of hers.

"Yeah I knew saying that would put color in your cheeks you dork!" She was so happy with the turn in their relationship, though she knew it would happen after Pacifica explained her crush on Dipper to her a summer or two ago. What cutie pies.

Dipper decided that was enough and crawled out of the hospital bed. He didn't rip out his IV but made sure to remove it with care; Mabel was behind him and offered him a blue band aid to put in the little hole in his arm. He did so and made his way over to the suit, checking the left coat pocket he pulled out a sheet of paper.

It was a photograph of him and Pacifica as twelve year olds smashing mud into her parent's carpet. It was scary that Bill would have this, even though he was all seeing. It had been such an important moment for the two so long ago. On the backside was the following message.

"_Only it won't be mud this time_."

And Dipper knew with one last look at Mabel, who had seen the image and its message over his shoulder that tonight would be war.

AN: Hey Guys! I'm not really done with this story but I've used up the stanza I was drawing inspiration from. Therefore I might be changing songs, not that you will particularly care, but just to keep you in the know!

I hope you guys are enjoying the story, I'm really living for reviews, so please send me something I could maybe revise or maybe some ideas you might have for the story! Sorry it's taken me so long to update!

Also, I suck at writing Mabel and writing Bill, I know I do, so please send me some suggestions as to how I could maybe fix them up!  
One battle on its way soon!


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